Sometimes, when a Biblical writer is addressing one thing, he is actually talking about something else.
According to the Apostle Paul, the Biblical law about not muzzling the ox while he is treading the grain (Deuteronomy 25:4) is actually about people.
For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?
1 Corinthians 9:9–11 ESV
Paul himself writes in the same way, making one thing stand for another. Ephesians 4:25-32 is about displaying love and kindness as opposed to hatred and anger as reflected primarily in speech. The thematic unity of the section is obvious and overwhelming except that v. 28 addresses theft, making an honest living, and helping the needy.
But that is a mistake. Read verse 28 and 29 together:
- [1] Let the thief no longer steal, [2] but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, [3] so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
- [1] Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, [2] but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, [3] that it may give grace to those who hear.
Theft is obviously an analogy for bad speech. Paul is still writing about speech.
I mention all this to ask if Proverbs 11:1 is mainly concerned with false and honest weights.
It would help to know something about the technology of the Ancient Near East. How hard was it to produce an accurate scale? Did it take a great deal of time and/or attention. Was it a special skill or could anyone do it?.
And did the accuracy deteriorate? Did you have to pay attention to make sure that the trustworthiness of a scale did not degrade over time through friction, through wear and tear in life? Were people tempted to ignore the developing lopsidedness so they could use it to their advantage?
I wonder about these things when I see three verses in Proverbs in a relatively tight spread about what the LORD finds an abomination and what he delights in:
Proverbs 11:1
A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.Proverbs 11:20
Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those of blameless ways are his delight.Proverbs 12:22
Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
Are you a just balance?
Perhaps this question isn’t quite right. Are you making yourself and keeping yourself a just balance? Or are you deteriorating into a false scale?